The present invention relates to bakery equipment and, more particularly, to a batter depositor for an automated bakery system.
Automated bakery systems may include a belt conveyor which transports pans past a batter deposit station. A flowable batter, for example, may be held in a hopper located at the deposit station. A depositor controls flow of batter from the hopper to pans stepped past the deposit station on the conveyor. The pans are filled to the proper level with the batter and stepped down the conveyor to subsequent operations, such as past a crumb depositor, until the pans are delivered to an oven. After the product is properly baked, it is removed from the pans. The pans are cleaned and reloaded at the entrance end of the system.
Accurate control of the quantity or scaling weight of batter deposited in the pans is important to efficient and cost effective operation of the systems. Variations in the amount of batter deposited in the pans will have an effect on ultimate product quality and product uniformity. In large scale automated bakery operations, such weight variations can have a significant effect on costs and ultimate profitability.
Currently available batter depositors include a hopper, a rotary valve and a piston which is moved through intake and deposit strokes in timed relationship with movement of the rotary valve. With a rotary valve in a first position wherein the hopper will communicate with a piston cylinder, the piston may be drawn through its intake stroke. The valve is then rotated to cutoff flow of batter into the cylinder and to place the cylinder into communication with an outlet or discharge opening. The piston may then be moved through its discharge stroke depositing batter into a pan positioned below the depositor. Proper timing in the operation of the valve and piston drive is critical to proper operation of the depositor. The scaling weight or amount of batter deposited by the device is controlled by the piston intake stroke and by the timing of the positioning of the valve. Rotation of the valve to the discharge position cuts off communication with or flow of the batter to the cylinder.
Available systems employ pneumatic piston/cylinder actuators to control the rotary motion of the valve as well as to reciprocate the piston. Such systems have difficulty in maintaining deposit weight within close tolerances. Problems are experienced due to variations in the plant air systems. Pressure fluctuations can have an adverse effect on the depositor timing, the speed or rotation of the valve and the speed of the piston in both the intake and discharge strokes. Difficulties are also experienced with maintenance of such items due to the line pressures, seal leaks in the actuators and the like. Proper operation requires constant operator interface. A need exists for an improved depositor which is reliable in operation and which accurately controls scaling weight and other operating parameters.